nopd promotions

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – The city’s two largest police organizations are accusing Mayor LaToya Cantrell of delaying NOPD promotions amid an investigation into her relationship with her former bodyguard.

The Metropolitan Crime Commission (MCC) also received complaints of alleged political retaliation. These complaints focus on NOPD Capt. Kendrick Allen, a lead investigator in the internal investigation into the mayor’s relationship with NOPD officer Jeffrey Vappie’s former bodyguard.

According to the Police Association of New Orleans (PANO), Captain Allen and Captain Precious Banks, who were also involved in the Vappie investigation, were among ten people who passed the exam for promotion to major.

However, PANO claims the city intentionally put her promotions on hold along with those of the eight other candidates.

“I don’t think you can look at it any other way when the mayor is legally prohibited from using her political influence in a canvassing process and she has done so so blatantly,” said PANO attorney Eric Hessler.

Both PANO and the Black Organization of Police have called for a civil service inquiry to find out why these promotions were delayed. In a letter, the organizations argue that the raid violates laws intended to protect officials from political retaliation.

“When this list was stopped, I received complaints from several police officials. They raised the issue that the mayor had somehow pressured the superintendent to stop the process,” said Rafael Goyeneche, president of the MCC.

Police organizations are now calling on the Civil Service Commission to investigate the delay in promoting 10 captains to majors. These promotions would be the first at the NOPD in more than 30 years.

“We have our theories about why the mayor exercised her political will or exercised it illegally, but it doesn’t matter who it is or what the reason is – it’s not legally or politically allowed,” Hessler added.

The MCC notes that promotions are a key part of the consent decree reforms and that any delays could jeopardize the city’s progress toward exiting federal oversight.

“The federal monitor indicated that he was aware of this and had heard the same complaint,” Goyeneche said.

Some fear that in addition to potentially slowing the city’s exit from the consent decree, the delayed promotions could have a negative impact on NOPD officer morale.

“It hurt morale and crippled officers’ trust in the promotion system,” Hessler said.

The police chief has so far deferred comment on the situation on Fox 8, while police organizations continue to push for a full investigation and call for an expedited hearing by the Civil Service Commission.

We reached out to the mayor’s office for comment but did not receive a response.

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